Railroad-crossing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet l.

O. HANSEL. RAILROAD CROSSING. NQ. 606,339. `Patented June 28, 1898.

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(No Model.)

2 lSmaets--Svheet 2. C HA N S E L RAILROAD CROSSINGl Patented June 28, 1898.

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CHARLES IIANSEL, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

lRAII ROAD-CuosslNo.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,339, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed December 3, 1897. Serial No. 666,605. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern: l

Be it known that I, CHARLES HANsEL, a citi- Vzen of the United States, residing at Easton,4

in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following isa specification.

My invention is directed particularly to grade crossings of railways or points where the rails of one track cross the rails of another on the same level. p

The object of the invention is to simplify crossing construction to the end that it will be more durable, as well as more eiicient, and to provide interlocking mechanism in connection with which may be employed suitable signals indicating Whetherthe operation of the crossing mechanism from the tower or other point Where the operating-levers are located has been satisfactorily accomplished. f

A further object is to so construct the moyable parts of the crossing as that they will more completely withstand the rough usage to which they are subjected than the corre'- sponding parts of crossings heretofore employed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a crossing embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of a crossing, illustrating a modification. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line '3 3 of Fig.,1. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on the line I 4 of Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a sectional detailv taken on the line 5 5 of Figi l.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts, A A' designate the two rails of what will be herein called for convenience of description the main line, while B B designate the rails of what will be herein called for like reason the crossing line. Each of the rails A AVB B' is out away adjacent to the secured, preferably by bolts or rivets, to the webs of the rails. By this means the parts are rigidly secured in position. Also mounted upon the plates C, and preferably by means of bolts or rivets, are guideways D, of a form in cross-section similar to angle-irons, the adjacent edges of each member of the guideway projecting inwardly to form rabbets cl, as best shown in Fig. 5. In each case these guideways, as here shown, extend diagonally across each base-plate C, forming on either side of the rail-junctions ways within which theA railblocks, now to be described, have sliding movement.

E E designate rail-blocks provided with outwardly-extending lflanges e of such size as to snugly fit within the rabbets d of the guide# Ways. I have found it desirable to construct each of these blocks in two parts, as illustrated in Fig. l, and to firmly secure these together by means of a bolt c', passing centrally therethrough, said bolt being provided at one end with suitable nuts and at the other end with an enlarged head and eye e2. Each block carries upon its upper surface two railsections, each corresponding to the ball of a 'rail,`and these rail-sections are, as here shown,

arranged at right angles to each other, so that when a block' is in one of its two positions one rail-ball will be inalinement with one of Vtherails of the track, making the latter practically continuous, While when the block is in its other position the other rail-ball which it' of a bellcrank lever F, the latter being pivotally mounted at f upon plate f', the latter "being preferably bolted` or otherwise secured Fig. l the rail-blocks are shown as having been shifted by means of the operating pipes ICJO or rods F', so as to bring the rail-balls e4 carried by each block into alinement with the rails of the crossing-track, thereby making that track continuous. If it be desired to make the main-track rails continuous, it is only necessary to give the pipe or rod connections F the reverse movement,whereupon each rail-block will be caused to slide in its guideways, so as to bring the rail-balls e5 which it carries into proper alinement. It will thus be seen that the movable parts of the crossing are few and simple. More than this, however, the rail-blocks are so constructed as to receive little, if any, more wear from the wheels of passing vehicles than the rails themselves. `Owin g to this feature their useful life is prolonged.

In order that there shall be no-doubt as to whether or not the movement of the pipe or rod connections E E has perfectly accomplished the shifting of the rail-blocks so as to make one or the other track continuous ybefore a clear signal may be given to pass train on crossing, I provide interlockingmechanism performing vtwo functions. In the first place it is impossible to interlock the railblocks, save when they are in one or the other of their two positions, and, secondly,- When they have been properly located for one or the other track and the interlockingmechanism has been actuated it is impossible to move the blocks to or toward their other position until the interlocking mechanism be again actuated to withdraw the locking-bolts.

Referring particularly to Fig. l, it will Ibe seen that at about the center of the square formed by the rails of the main and crossing tracks is located a foundation-plate G, preferablysecured by, means of bolts or rivets to connecting-plates .tr/,secured to the base-plates C.' By this means a rigidand compact foundation for the entire mechanism is provided. Pivotally mounted upon the central foundation-plate'is a spider g', provided with lfourl outwardly-extendfin g arms g2. To-one of these arms is secured, preferably by means of a pivot-pin, an adjustable rod or pipe connection g3, running directly or indirectly to the bolts H a forward or rearward movement,

bringing their ends into or out of engagement With the sockets 72,3 in the rail-blocks.

What I claim is- 1. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of two'lines of intersecting, crossing tracks, base-plates at each intersection to which the tracks are secured, guideways carried by said base-plates and extending diagonally with respect to the tracks, rail-blocks mounted in saidguideways to slide therein, means for moving said blocks into one or another position to make one or the other line of tracks practically continuous through the crossing, and a locking mechanism for said blocks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of two lines of intersecting, crossingftracks, base-plates at each intersection to which the tracks are secured, guideways carried by said base-plates and extending diagonally withrespect to the tracks, rail-blocks mounted `in said guideways tolslide therein, means for moving said blocks into one or another posin tion to make one or the other line of tracks practically continuous through the crossing, a locking-bolt for each of said blocks, and means for simultaneously moving all of said locking-bolts, substantially as set forth.

This speciiicationsigned and witnessed this 30th day of November, 1897.

CHARLES llANSEL.

Vitnesses:

EUGENE Conn-AN, JNo. R. TAYLOR. 

